Hi everyone, This is my first post here after lurking for quite some time. I feel firstly I must thank everyone for all the advice here it has really halped me with sorting out my weight and has got me on course for how i want myself to look.

I started in Janurary this year at 286lbs trying to get myself down to around 220 pounds by July.

I have managed to eat clean and while exercising about the same as before - I started serously going to the Gym mid last year but was eating a tub of Ben and Jerrys every day thinking it was ok because i was going to the gym ! :p

However since eating clean - well today I weighed 266 lbs so have lost about 20 lbs.

The main question I have is that my chest has gone from 50 inches down to a 46 inch (is getting expensive in suits!), but my waist has stayed still at 38 inches. Is this something weird, im guessing its just my bodies natural chemistry and you guys will say there is nothing to worry about but i was just wondering.

The main help for me was starting to use Diet Power - this little beauty of a program is a god send and I dont know how i would have done it without it.

Ok - well i didnt expect to type such a long message, but i would like to thank everyone here for the inspiration and if there are many other lurkers like me then who knows how many people this site has inspired!

I am surprised that you would lose 20 pounds and 4 inches off your chest but nothing off your stomach. But is it bad or unheard of? Not in the least. When losing weight the body tends to concentrate on some areas in phases. You will always be losing fat all over and you can't spot reduce, but there will certainly be areas that lose more fat sooner than others. My calves exploded back into view before I felt that I'd lost much fat anywhere else. I have heard that you lose fat in reverse order from how you gain it - i.e. the first place you start to store fat is the last place that it leaves. This aside, the stomach is generally considered to be one of the last places to really eliminate all the fat - hence the impressive look of toned arms versus the glorious look of a six pack. I wouldn't worry about it, just be happy that your chest will soon be looking killer.

I am surprised that you would lose 20 pounds and 4 inches off your chest but nothing off your stomach.

Does this sound like not enough weight to lose 4 inches?
The reason I ask is that 4 inches make not be 100% accurate - All i know is I was tryin gto buy suits one week and couldnt get into a 48 - then went into the same store a few weeks later and managed to fit into the same 48 inch suit so bought them.

Then when i started my internship i found the suits didnt fit and had to go take them back and swap them for a 46 inch in the same style.

Will it not be possible to lose that many inches with that small a loss?

When losing weight the body tends to concentrate on some areas in phases. You will always be losing fat all over and you can't spot reduce, but there will certainly be areas that lose more fat sooner than others. My calves exploded back into view before I felt that I'd lost much fat anywhere else. Seconded. So far I've gone: forearms (wtf??), calves, quads (slightly), stomach (slightly), chest (slightly).

Forearms definetly went first, and now my calves are going nuts. The quads are catching up, slowly. The chest and stomach are reducing but at a much slower rate.

You've lost 20 lbs! That's AWESOME! Keep it up and your gut will get in the game :nod:

Yea the body is a strange partner. Some slow going in certain areas while others are happy to see it burn off. My calves are the happy fat booters. You can clearly see my calve muscles and they look like rocks but then the stomach is still in a bit of hibernation. But don't give up, everything will go eventually...even the procrastinating belly! Good work on the 20 lb. loss!!!

garthus I just meant that 20 pounds is a LOT of fat, and I would guess the average person would lose some size around the waist, but I want to emphasize again that it's NOT something to be worried about. 20 pounds is 80 sticks of butter so be glad you aren't carrying that with you anymore. You will be fine, it just takes time. Sit back and enjoy the ride :)

You should be gald in some ways that the fats melt off from the chest first. Imagine the opposite that all your fats going off from the stomach but yr chest remains the same. You are developing man-boobs! :p

You should be gald in some ways that the fats melt off from the chest first. Imagine the opposite that all your fats going off from the stomach but yr chest remains the same. You are developing man-boobs! :p

Genius - good idea mate no way would I ever want MOOBS!!

Anyway, thanks for the advice and encouragement everyone, as i expected everyone here are really great people who many have are are in the same situation as me.

Ive been taking photos and will post them up soon I can see a difference which is nice, I just think ill wait another week before I post them - no reason just put that as a date in my head.

Once again thanks everyone y'all are great :D

EDIT: I thought I may as well post pics so they are here now:

http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=3668

I think I know why you are losing the inches from yr chest first. From the pics you have put up i can see the fats are accumulate at the upper part of the body;not all fats at the front part of the chest, but equally distributed about the chest and upper back ), that's what people will rather go for if they are to become fat, cos with that type of fat body when you put a shirt on it seems that you are still quite muscular because of the 'broad' chest (but not too fat though, if not its obvious they are fats). But most of us are not that lucky, we put on fats the the gut...

that's what people will rather go for if they are to become fat, cos with that type of fat body when you put a shirt on it seems that you are still quite muscular because of the 'broad' chest (but not too fat though, if not its obvious they are fats). But most of us are not that lucky, we put on fats the the gut...

Yea I have always been lucky in that way - I do carry my weight very well and look really good with a shirt on - I have the triangular shape with a big chest and small waist. But im determined to look good on the beach as well.

A pleasing side note - I weighed myself at the gym this morning and am down to 262 pounds. That was with a wet towel wrapped around me. So am really starting to lose a lot of weight now.
:flex: